Bang! Bang!
After hitting dozens of balls, Kanzaki Ryou was already drenched in sweat. When the pitching machine finally stopped, Miyuki Kazuya walked into the cage.
"I feel like I ate something bad," Miyuki muttered, sitting down and clutching his lower abdomen.
"Heh. You cooked it yourself," Kanzaki Ryou said as he put down his bat, picked up his water bottle, and took a long sip.
At that moment, two batting cages nearby started up almost simultaneously.
The pitching machines fired, and the baseballs were sent flying one after another. The sharp clang of metal echoed continuously through the facility.
Kanzaki Ryou and Miyuki Kazuya both turned to look.
"Not bad," Kanzaki Ryou commented. "Their stances are solid, and their timing's clean."
"Yeah," Miyuki nodded. "Even if it's just a machine, hitting like that still takes skill."
Between the two batters, the tall black-haired boy's swings were heavy and explosive, each hit packed with power. The blond teenager's batting was also sharp, but for some reason, Miyuki felt something slightly… off about it. He couldn't quite put his finger on it.
After more than ten consecutive swings, the machines stopped.
The blond teenager glanced toward Kanzaki Ryou and Miyuki Kazuya's cage.
At first, he only felt a vague sense of familiarity. On the second look, recognition hit—and disbelief flashed through his eyes.
"Oh? He recognized us," Kanzaki Ryou said with a grin, catching the change instantly.
Before Kanzaki Ryou could say more, Miyuki had already raised his hand and waved cheerfully.
"Hey—hey! What are you doing?" Kanzaki Ryou asked.
"Making acquaintances," Miyuki replied casually.
As Kanzaki Ryou looked over, the blond teenager was already walking toward them.
Seeing this, Kanzaki Ryou and Miyuki exchanged glances, smiled, and stepped out of their cage.
"I didn't expect to meet Seidou High's upperclassmen here," the teenager said calmly.
"Nice to meet you. I'm Kaname Kei."
"Kanzaki Ryou."
"Miyuki Kazuya."
The two introduced themselves lightly.
Kaname Kei nodded once, his expression steady.
Meeting these two here wasn't a coincidence he intended to waste.
His goal was clear—to make the person behind him, Haruka Kiyomine, the number one pitcher in Japan.
And what did the number one pitcher look like?
The answer was standing right in front of him.
The undefeated ace of Japanese high school baseball, destined for the professional stage—Kanzaki Ryou.
With a living template like this, how could he not step forward?
"Kei, who are they?"
Behind him, Haruka Kiyomine walked over, his expression absentminded.
Kaname Kei turned and smiled gently.
"Haruka, don't you want to become the number one pitcher in Japan? This is a perfect reference."
Only then did Haruka Kiyomine look closely at the two in front of him. Until now, his attention had been entirely on Kaname Kei.
"I know you," Haruka said plainly. "The Koshien champion pitcher and the champion catcher."
Kaname Kei slapped his forehead helplessly.
"You should call them 'Senpai,'" he reminded him.
"Oh." Haruka nodded obediently and bowed slightly.
"Kanzaki-senpai. Miyuki-senpai. Nice to meet you. Please guide me."
Standing on opposite sides of the net made the exchange awkward, so Kaname Kei and Haruka Kiyomine walked over to Kanzaki Ryou and Miyuki Kazuya's side.
"You're both third-year junior high students?" Kanzaki Ryou asked.
Kaname Kei nodded. "Yes."
"Then where are you planning to go for high school?"
The Seidou Ace had officially entered recruitment mode.
Caught off guard, Kaname Kei glanced at Kanzaki Ryou, then turned to Haruka Kiyomine before smiling.
"I don't know yet. Wherever Haruka goes, I'll go."
"Me too," Haruka said without hesitation.
"Heh." Kanzaki Ryou chuckled. "Then how about Seidou?"
Just from their swings earlier, he could tell—these two were clearly a cut above their peers.
"Is Kanzaki-senpai inviting us?" Kaname Kei asked.
Seidou was an excellent choice. Facilities, coaching staff, competitive environment—everything was top-tier.
"Yes," Kanzaki Ryou replied simply. "Interested?"
Kaname Kei smiled politely.
"Thank you for the invitation, senpai, but something like that can't be decided in just a few words."
"That's fine." Kanzaki Ryou waved his hand casually. "Take your time."
"Thank you," Kaname Kei nodded, then added,
"Senpai, may we ask for a match?"
"A match?" Kanzaki Ryou raised an eyebrow.
"Yes. It's a rare opportunity. We want to learn from you."
Though they dominated junior high baseball, Kaname knew full well how vast the gap was between them and high school elites—especially the two standing here.
Kanzaki Ryou glanced at Miyuki.
"How's your stomach?"
"Heh." Miyuki chuckled. "I can manage."
Kanzaki Ryou looked back at Kaname Kei.
"By the way, what positions do you play?"
"I'm the catcher," Kaname Kei answered. "Haruka is the pitcher."
"Oh?" Kanzaki Ryou was genuinely surprised. "That is a coincidence."
A pitcher-catcher duo meeting another pitcher-catcher duo—fate had a sense of humor.
"If possible," Kaname Kei said, bowing slightly, "we'd like to see your pitching, Senpai."
"Alright," Kanzaki Ryou agreed. "But first—let me see what you've got."
They moved to the pitching area.
Bat in hand, Kanzaki Ryou stepped into the box and looked forward calmly.
"Warm up properly," he said. "Then come at me with everything you've got. Try to strike me out."
Kaname Kei and Haruka Kiyomine nodded.
Kaname's expression grew unusually serious. This was nothing like any opponent they'd faced before. Against junior high players, they could dominate—but this man stood at the absolute summit of high school baseball.
Whoosh—
Kaname Kei took a deep breath and moved aside with Haruka to warm up.
"Ryou," Miyuki said quietly, "go easy on them. Don't crush their confidence."
He'd already checked their profiles. They were geniuses, sure—but still junior high students.
And their opponent?
The Overlord of high school baseball.
Someone who had seen countless geniuses—
and turned them all into comparisons.
"Relax," Kanzaki Ryou replied with a grin. "I know."
Soon, the warm-up ended.
Haruka Kiyomine stood on the mound. Kaname Kei squatted behind the plate.
Kanzaki Ryou stepped into the batter's box, bat resting on his shoulder, eyes sharp.
"Use everything you've got," he said calmly.
"I won't hold back."
Kaname Kei looked up, smiled faintly—and said nothing.
That was exactly what he wanted.
Only by facing the full strength of the Seidou Ace
could he truly understand the distance between them
and the summit of Japanese baseball.